


Boo

by bookedequestrian



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alive Hale Family, Alternate Universe - Human, Claudia Stilinski Feels, Horseback Riding, Horses, Multi, Panic Attacks, WIP, mentions of abuse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-09-23
Updated: 2014-04-26
Packaged: 2017-12-27 10:31:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,476
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/977709
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bookedequestrian/pseuds/bookedequestrian
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Claudia had pulled her son into the saddle just in front of her, a helmet that was a just a little too big tipping into his eyes. Stiles little hands had wound through Shorty’s mane, his mother’s arms surrounding him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Warnings for: Panic attacks. Physical/Emotional abuse. Alcohol abuse. (I've only hinted at the last two)
> 
> If I have missed anything, please inform me!

The first time Stiles rode a horse he was five and accompanied by his mother. Everything about the horse could be described as ‘massive’, but he was slow and gentle and didn’t have a thought to spook or a mean bone in his body. His name was Shorty because Claudia liked ironic names like that on horses she trained.

Claudia had pulled her son into the saddle just in front of her, a helmet that was a just a little too big tipping into his eyes. Stiles little hands had wound through Shorty’s mane, his mother’s arms surrounding him. They had ridden Shorty around the arena at a walk for a lap before Claudia asked the horse to canter. Stiles had giggled when the beast had picked it up with ease and they flew around the ring.

It was a week later that Stiles started taking lessons. The pony he rode was a docile enough, older Shetland who on occasion checked Stiles and he’d come home from his lesson covered in dirt with a grin telling his dad how he fell.

~

By the time he was six Stiles was jumping a few small jumps. He had even been to a few shows.  He had also been led around on his mother’s retired show horse, Pluto. Stiles couldn’t get enough of horses and riding, he especially loved it when his mother taught him or joined one of his lessons.

~

By the time Stiles was seven he was jumping a bit more and riding some larger ponies. He would go on trail rides with his mother and there was a discussion about getting him his own pony.

~

By the time Stiles turned eight he was starting to jump two feet pretty consistently and was showing a bit more. He had fallen hopelessly in love with a partially blind Welsh pony. The stubborn pony who was honest to every jump, threw a buck whenever he was asked to canter and had a personal space issue seemed to take a shine to Stiles as well.

~

By the time Stiles was eight he and his pony-Oz- where coursing two foot with ease. They had even jumped as high as three feet. Stiles was even taking a few lessons on Pluto. At the smaller local shows they went to, everyone seemed to know Oz and Stiles on sight and groan about how the kid and pony would haul in the prizes.

~

By the time Stiles was nine he and Oz where taking the more serious shows by storm. Stiles rode Pluto at least once a week. Stiles and Claudia also had a lesson together once a week as well.

It was the next year everything changed.

~oOo~

At first nothing changed though. Claudia still rode and so did Stiles. Then slowly Claudia rode a little less. Stiles knew his mother was sick, but he also ‘knew’ that she would get better. Eventually two of the four horses Claudia had in training where sold. The rowdiest of the four, still young, just babies themselves. Claudia and Stiles where sad so see their favorite of the four, a dark bay, five year old, Irish sport horse with a thick blaze, two front socks and two hind stockings with a slightly heart shaped splotch on her left hip. They had taken to calling the mare Boo.

When Claudia stopped coming out to the barn all together, Stiles started getting nervous. He stopped going out as often as well. He would often be found sitting on his mother’s hospital bed, talking about a new horse at the barn or something he had done with Oz or Pluto.

When the last two of the four horses Claudia had been training where sold. Stiles didn’t go to the hospital and he didn’t talk to his father on the ride home from the barn. He walked up the stairs to his room, closed the door, all the shutters, crawled under his blanket and wept. He sobbed till the tears wouldn’t come anymore and he choking on air, his body shaking with the sheer effort it took. He lay under his covers shuddering and crying till he feel asleep.

His mother was dying.

The next day Stiles refused to leave the hospital.

And the day after that.

Finally his mother convinced him to go home.

Stiles was dropped off at the hospital the next night. His father was needed ‘on the scene’ and ran in to give his wife a quick kiss. Stiles and his mother watched _National Velvet_ and Stiles talked about how Pie looked a lot like a horse his mother had trained.

~oOo~

“Oh, commercial you should go get candy and quick. Pie’s about to race” Claudia said. Stiles nodded and hopped off the bed. He raced to the vending machine and got Reese’s and a Hersey’s bar. He started jogging back to his mothers’ room.

“Crash cart!” he heard someone yell. A team of nurses raced to his mother’s room. Stiles dropped the candy and started sprinting. He didn’t realize he was screaming till Mrs. McCall had picked him up and started carrying him away, shushing him gently, pushing his face toward her shoulder to muffle his incoherent screams.

It felt like hours that Mrs. McCall held Stiles close to her and rocked him gently. It could have been hours or it could have been seconds. Stiles couldn’t tell he couldn’t breathe, he was choking on air, on tears and the buzzing in his ears. Finally Mrs. McCall let him go and walked him back to his mother’s room.

She looked calm, relaxed, like she was sleeping.

Velvet and Pie where giving it their all to cross the finish the line first. Stiles didn’t care. He reached out to his mother and touched her hand.

She was still warm. She looked like she could take a breath at any moment.

“M-mom” Stiles whined. He stepped forward and hugged her. He kissed her on the forward and whispered goodbye. He collected his things and stepped outside the room.

It was five minutes later that his father showed up flushed and panting. He ran to Stiles and pulled him into a hug. Stiles cried into his father’s chest and his father shook with restrained sobs. His father said his goodbyes and they left.

~oOo~

It was two weeks later that they had the funeral. Everyone from town was there. Even the Hales who owned the elite riding academy on the edge of town. Everything in the church was so dark and cold and outside it was raining without really raining. Stiles was supposed to sit up front with his father and look at his mother in a casket, looking like she could open her eyes and everything would be okay again. Stiles couldn’t do it.

He found his best friend Scott and they hid in the daycare center and played tick-tack-toe.

The night of the funeral was the same night his father broke out the bottle of whiskey and drained it. It was also the night Stiles ran the ten miles to the barn and slept in Oz’s stall.

Stiles stayed at Scott’s a lot those first few months.

Then Melissa McCall stepped in.

~oOo~

Stiles was close to eleven and hadn’t ridden in at least four months. His dad wanted to sell either Pluto or Oz. The horse and pony both had leases on them and had nearly all of their bills covered, but it was a lot of money to own a single equine let alone two when you weren’t even ridding either.

It was the threat of his beloved pony and his mother’s horse that kicked Stiles into riding again. Since his father was busy with police work, so Stiles rode his bike to the barn early in the mornings to clean stalls or ride, then to school, then to the barn after school to do more barn chores and ride.

By twelve he was assisting with lessons, helping school horses, coming out even earlier in the mornings and staying out even later to feed, cleaning not only his stalls and tack but half of the barns.  

~oOo~

He was thirteen and riding a liver chestnut thoroughbred, warming up to show a buyer.

Finstock wouldn’t tell him who was coming to look at the horse. The gelding had a nasty habit of rushing the fences and bucking after them.

Stiles stopped the horse and made him stand then glanced over to the lounge area and saw Talia Hale. She inclined her head to him as Finstock joined her. They took seats next to arena and waited for him to walk over.

“Stiles” Talia said with light smile. Stiles nodded and smiled back. Finstock stepped toward the fence and gestured at the gelding.

“He thinks a race horse going towards the fences-he forgets they kicked him out of racing for being too damn slow-then he thinks he’s a bunny on the other side of ‘em. Otherwise he’s great otherwise, you’d think he was a quarter horse for how laidback he is about just everything else besides fences” Finstock said. Talia nodded and looked over the horse.

“What would you like to see?” Stiles asked.

“Walk, trot and canter both ways. If he can do flying changes show me that, throw in some circles at the trot and canter and varying transitions. Once you’re done with that, stop in front of us-try and stop square-and back a few steps. Then I’ll set up a course for you” Talia said. Stiles nodded and set off at a walk.

He did everything Talia had asked for and came to a stop in front of her. He took a deep breath the backed four steps then walked in a circle before coming to halt a few feet off the rail.

“How high can you jump?” Talia asked.  
“We’ve jumped 3’6” together” Stiles replied. Talia nodded and eyed the jumps set up. A vertical two strides away from a Swedish oxer, a four stride, vertical line, a single parallel oxer and a single vertical.

“Take the oxer away from us, then loop back around to the vertical line, that the vertical, loop back around take the vertical line again and horshoe around to the oxer line then to finish it off take the oxer again.” Talia said. Stiles nodded and made a quick pattern of the course by tracing it in the air with his index finger.

They picked up the canter and headed toward the oxer. The gelding was fine during the first part of the course. He wasn’t necessarily collected, but he wasn’t rushing and he had a good enough pace to clear all the jumps. It was the second time come towards the vertical line that he kicked up. Stiles tricked to pull him back and slow him, he came back a fraction.

He jumped the first quite nicely, he then sprinted to the next jump in two and decided he didn’t need the third or fourth stride and launched over the next jump. Stiles managed to stay with him. As they landed on the other side of the jump. The gelding’s nose dropped the ground and his back legs shot straight up into the air.

“Don’t you start!” Stiles snarled.  He got the gelding’s head up after he threw himself into the air in a nasty, twisting buck. They made it through the two stride oxer line in one and rocketed out of the line like it was fire. The barreled around the turn towards the final oxer and Stiles got the gelding to stop.

The gelding danced and fidgeted and threw his head. They picked up the canter and canter a ridiculously fast circle then another circle at a slower speed before they finally head to the last jump. They took it nice and easy.

Stiles took the gelding in another circle before slowing to a walk and heading over to where Talia was waiting. She grinned.

“He’s got some speed and he’s not afraid to take a long spot. He has some nice movement too. Though I think twenty is a bit much for him” Talia said. She eyed Stiles as she said this. Honestly Stiles liked the gelding but he was probably only worth ten to fifteen thousand considering he could still be labelled as green.

“Let’s talk in my office”

“You don’t have an office” stiles said. He urged the gelding to walk before Finstock could register his comment. It was true Finstock shared the converted lounge area. Whenever he had _business_ he kicked everyone out.

~oOo~

“You rode him well” Stiles jumped and bumped into the gelding who just turned his head toward Stiles.

“Jesus” Stiles said grabbing at his heart. Talia grinned.

“Your mother used to come out and ride for us sometimes.” Talia said slowly. Stiles stiffened then nodded.

“Yeah? It’s that in the past now” Stiles asked. He felt edgy talking about his mother around horses. Talia’s smile softened.

“I just wanted you to know that if you ever wanted a paying job you could come ride for us. You’d do what you do here, but get paid to ride and if you helped feed and cleaned tack and stalls it would just knock down the price of board” Talia grin. She pulled out a card and handed it to Stiles.

“Call when you want to come out or you can come out when we pick up this gelding in a few days. A four horse gets quite spacious with just one gelding in it.” Talia said. Stiles nodded absently, staring ta the card.

~oOo~

“Glad you decided to join us Stiles” Talia said. Even though she was the only one in the truck besides a massive dog who refused to budge when Stiles got in the passenger seat and thus they shared it all the way to Hale Riding Academy.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stiles didn’t mind the crazy horses, the difficult horses, the ‘no-hopers’, the broken ones, it was all those types that if given some time and care and a chance they usually came around and they’d try their hardest for the person or people that had given them the chance.  
> That being said some horses where just plain crazy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not believe there is anything to warn about.

The dog’s name was Sid and she was a mutt. She would follow Stiles around like the boy was one of her pups. Laura and Cora Hale thought it was hysterical especially when Sid got under Stiles feet and the poor boy almost face planted.

He didn’t mind them laughing because all in good humor, he did mind their brother Derek giving him the nickname Dog-boy. It turned up his lip and made his chin tilt. Stiles would nod and smirk and fire back with “You’re just jealous she just likes me better then you”. Derek would grumbled and stride away.

Stiles was okay with being the new kid at the barn, being the low man on the totem pole and being given all the tasks no one really wanted to do or didn’t have time for or given the horses no one wanted. He was fine with that he technically getting a bit tall for Oz and Pluto was getting stiffer in joints. Stiles didn’t mind the crazy horses, the difficult horses, the ‘no-hopers’, the broken ones, it was all those types that if given some time and care and a chance they usually came around and they’d try their hardest for the person or people that had given them the chance.

That being said some horses where just plain crazy.

~oOo~

 “Sit back!” Talia barked. Stiles tried. It was a quarter pony, a little dusty chestnut mare with a star and a solid spook. No was expecting the bronco bucks the pony threw the second stiles got on, with only one foot in the stirrup, reins only barely collected.

They flew up into the air the pony twisted and kicked out. Stiles was launched out of the saddle. He flung his arms out and instantly regretted it, when an audible _snap_ came from his left arm as he landed.

Stiles cradled his arm as he slowly sat up. The pony was a few away snorting. Stiles looked over to Talia approaching the pony.

“Want me to get back on?” He asked. He really want her to say no, because his arm seriously hurt, but he’d get back on if she told him to. Talia looked him over then looked at the pony and shook her head. Stiles let out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding.

“Get Laura to take you to the hospital, she should be a bout done with her lesson.” Talia said. She led the pony back to her stall.

Stiles found Laura in the outdoor arena getting on a lazy looking little grey. His raised his right arm and wave to her, she rode over to him.

“Hey when you’re done you think I can get a done?” He asked. Laura smiled at him and nodded.

“Sure thing cutie” She said. Stiles went to back to the barn.

~oOo~

He still had six stalls left to clean. So he grabbed a roll of vet wrap and wrapped his wrist and hand. He hissed as the pressure from the self-adhesive bandaging made pain shoot through his arm.

He set to work cleaning the rest of the stalls.

~oOo~

Stiles had finished his stalls and was rounding the corner out of the barn when he bummed into to someone. He yelped from both surprise and pain. He started too stumbled back. The person he bummed into grabbed him before he could fall.

“You okay?” Derek asked him. Stiles looked up at him. He shifted his arm to try and get it in a more comfortable position.

“Fine, why wouldn’t I be?” Stiles asked. Derek raised an eyebrow the boy and grunted before walking around him into the barn. When Stiles walked out to the outdoor arena, Laura walked up to him and handed him her horse and a helmet.

“Want to jump him?” Laura asked. She scanned him eyed his left wrist and questioned him with a single lifted eyebrow. Stiles rolled his eyes. The Hales and their mastery of the eyebrow lift.

“Sure, is he strong?” Stiles asked as he ducked under the fence. Laura shook her head as she dismounted. She shook out her hair as she took off her helmet and handed it to Stiles. He secured it over his head, positioned himself by the geldings’ side, gingerly collected the reins and lifted his left leg. Laura grabbed it and Stiles got ready to hop.

“One, two, three” Laura threw him effortlessly into the saddle. Stiles collected his stirrups and reins and started trotting around.

Stiles rode the gelding through an eight jump course before handing him off to Cora to be cooled down.

~oOo~

“Laura why are you still here?” Talia asked. Laura didn’t even pause in talking up the bay mare as she started talking to her mother.

“Why wouldn’t I be?” She asked. Laura had her own horses and clients horses to ride and train. It was only five, she could get in another ride of two before having to feed and head home to do god knows what.

“Did you take Stiles to the hospital then?” Talia asked. Laura stopped then, the girth slipping from her fingers and its place on the billet to hang lip on the other side of the mare.

“Hospital?” Laura repeated. Talia nodded.

“Mom, would you mind taking care of Lacey for me, I need to go give a little boy a ride and a talking too” Laura said. Talia stepped to the horses’ side and grabbed the girth before her daughter walked away.

~oOo~

“We were supposed to be here _two_ _hours_ ago Stiles.” Laura said calmly. She hadn’t said anything on the ride to the hospital or when she’d found Stiles in the lounge icing his arm and talking to some of the other exercise and junior riders. She had simply looked at him lifted one eyebrow, pointed and index finger at him and curled it towards her.

Luckily Ms. McCall was on duty and worked it so they only spend a little while in the ER.

“Sorry but you were busy and I had stalls to clean and then you wanted to know if I wanted to jump Charlie and of course I wanted to jump Charlie, have you seen Charlie? Well of course you have, I mean you ride him, but-”

“Stiles!” Laura snapped. Stiles rounded his shoulders and looked over at Laura with his big brown doe eyes. Laura ran a hand down her face and sighed.

“That’s beside the point Stiles, we don’t want you hurt. We care about you. I could have handed Charlie off to anyone and you have a broken arm! Your stalls can wait” Laura said. Stiles nodded and looked down at his vet wrapped arm.

“What color?” He asked.

“What?”

“For the cast, what color should it be?” He asked. Laura grinned.

“Red” Stiles smiled at Laura.

~oOo~

Stiles was nearly banned from the barn for the first week he had his cast. He wasn’t allowed to ride or do any heavy lifting or anything strenuous. He still somehow managed to do all his barn chores and sneak in a ride on Oz.

This was reason Talia enlisted Scott to not only help Stiles with his barn chores, but keep him from riding for at least the first week.

~oOo~

“Who’s that?” Scott asked. Stiles turned his attention from the shavings pile to the outdoor ring. He recognized all the riders and horses. Isaac was on the same gelding he’d been ridding the day Talia had talked to him about being an exercise rider, Erica rode a black mare with rather pissy temperament and for once had her long blonde curls tamed into a braid, Lydia rode a cute pony mare with a quick wit a bad habit to buck her long strawberry blonde hair rested in a ponytail at the nape of her neck and the last rider was Allison.

The girl had just started boarding with the Hales. Her shoulder length brunette hair flew free as she rode her chestnut gelding around the course Laura had set up for the group.

“Be more specific” Stiles said. Scott rolled his eyes.

“The one jumping”

“Allison…It’s weird though, Derek’s usually in this lesson” Stiles said. He turned back to the shavings piled heaved another pile into the cart.

“Oh?”

“No, I just know because this is my normal lesson too.” Stiles said and flicked shavings as Scott. Scott hurled shavings back at Stiles. The only reason it didn’t turn into all-out war, because Talia walked by and smiled at them as shavings drifted her way.

~oOo~

Scott became a permanent fixture at the barn. He was part-time stable hand and veterinary assistant. Scott seemed to really enjoy learning about the horses from Deaton, the barns vet, even though he gave Stiles the creeps.

Stiles rode Charlie, Oz and Pluto till his cast came off.

~oOo~

Stile was fifteen when he first rode a stallion. It was necessarily planned. The horse-Ed-was bought for Marcus Hale as a jumping horse and Stiles was in the area watching Marcus ride Ed over a course obviously too low for him when Marc stopped in front of him.

“Want to jump him?”

“Really?” Stiles breathed. Marc would say he squeaked and Stiles would adamantly deny it, but if he was being honest he squeaked a little.

“Yeah, I trust you” Marcus said as he hoped off. Stiles scrabbled to get his helmet on and walked to the stud’s head. The stallion was big and grey and as docile as a puppy.

Stiles mounted the stallion and urged him into a walk. Ed strolled around the arena. They rode around for fifteen minutes before Marcus walked to the center of the ring.

“Do the same course I did, if you can remember it” he said. Stiles nodded and picked up the canter. They jumped the same nine jumps Marcus had and in the same order.

“I want to steal this horse from you” Stiles said. He was walking Ed out. Marcus grinned and laughed.

“Just you try Derek’s already made that threat” Stiles laughed.

~oOo~

Stiles was sixteen when thirty-two year old Pluto wouldn’t get up.

“It’s your choice” His father said. He was sitting with Stiles in Pluto’s stall waiting for Deaton. Pluto’s head in Stiles lap munched happily on the treats Stiles handed him. Stiles nodded. John patted him son’s shoulders.

“Sometimes it’s just their time, he’s lived a good life, but it’s still your choice” John said. He stood slowly, bent and kissed the top of Stiles head before leaving the stall.

It was nine at night and Deaton was on his way but Stiles was almost sure there wouldn’t be anything he could do besides making Pluto more comfortable.

Outside the stall Talia, Marcus and John stood talking quietly. The stall opened then closed. Sid curled around Stiles while someone else sat down on the crate brought in for seating.

“When I five my mom got me this pony. He was great, a little shit, but I loved him. When I was eight he coliced and my parents had to decide between surgery or putting him down.”

Stiles kept petting Pluto’s face, listening to Derek.

“We got the surgery”

Stiles took a breath.

“He passed away due to complications” Derek said. Stiles flinched away and looked at Derek.

“I’m sorry”

“Just do what’s best for the horse.” Derek said. He glared at Stiles eyes watery. He stood and stepped around him to pat Pluto’s shoulder before existing the stall.

~oOo~

Pluto passed away that evening.

And Stiles sobbed like he was little kid again, he sobbed into Pluto’s shoulder. When he was done and too exhausted to stand, John picked his son up and carried him out to the car.

When they got home, Stiles made himself hot chocolate and got all the junk food he could find and watched _National Velvet_. He hardly made it fifteen minutes into the movie before falling sleep.

~oOo~

“An auction?” Stiles asked. Everyone was in the lounge. The Hales, the main exercise and junior riders and stable hands.

“Yeah, Jonathan McBride?” Nathan Hale asked. He was one of the rare ones to see at the barn.

“Who doesn’t?” Stiles asked. Everyone else in the room nodded.

“He bought [Landolure](http://rainbowequus.com/our-stallions/landkonig-offspring/landolure/) there” Nathan explained. Stiles sputtered. Lydia crossed her legs and rolled her ankle.

“Shame that people just toss away such nice horses, because they themselves don’t want to work hard enough” She said. Erica nodded.

“People think we just sit there, riding those beasts are work, I didn’t get these be doing nothing!” She said emphatically.

“Alright, we’ll be taking the four and six horse trailers. The four horse truck is going to be me, Laura, Lydia, Stiles and Derek. The Six horse is Marcus, Boyd, Erica, Isaac, Allison and Scott” Talia announced.

“What about Nathan and Cora?” Stiles asked.

“They’re going to go look a near sure prospect for Cora, then they’ll join us later” Marcus supplied.

“Let’s move people” Talia barked.

~oOo~

 _“Lot 35 is a nice quarter pony mare, 12 years old and 13.3 hands. It’s had some jumping experience. Let’s start the bidding at 25, shall we?”_ the auctioneer asked. The pony managed to get five hundred.

_“Lot 36 and 37 have dropped out of the auction, we are sorry for the unexpected change to the program. We are now auctioning off lot 38.”_

A dark bay horse plodded into the arena. The program told the crew the bay was a mare, she had a thick blaze, two front socks and two hind stockings. The mare was big, shoulder at the handlers head, she was a bit underweight but she had the most muscle of any of the horse they had seen that day.

“They broke her” Derek muttered beside him. Stiles jumped a little. He had almost forgot everyone with there with him. Derek was right.

Even though was plain gorgeous she was dead in the eye. Even all the chaos if the auction didn’t even cause her to lift her head. Still Stiles felt like he’d seen the horse somewhere before.

 _“11 year old, Thoroughbred mare, 17.2 hands. Has eventing experience. Let’s start the biddign at 100 shall we?”_ the auctioneer said. Stiles looked at the mare. She didn’t look like a Thoroughbred. He looked at the program again and found her general stats by her lot number.

Tir Na Nog.

It was interesting name for a horse, maybe the mare was an Irish Thoroughbred. The mares name seemed familiar too.

~

_“Tir Na Nog, honey.” Claudia said with a smile._

_“That’s a funny name” Stiles had replied._

_“Well would call her?” Claudia asked. Stiles grinned._

_“Boo, cause it looks like she has a ghost on her face” He said. Claudia laughed._

_“Okay, Boo it is then.”_

_~_

“Boo” Stiles choked out. Derek lifted his eyebrow at him. Stiles lurched out his seat and made his way toward Talia.

“That horse” Stiles said firmly. Talia looked around as the bidding very slowly inched its way higher. She stared at Stiels before looked at the horse then lifting an eyebrow.

“Yes I’m sure” Stiles snapped.

Talia raised her number, eye square on Stiles.

“One thousand” she said. The building stilled for a minute, the bidding had hardly even gotten to five hundred yet.

 _“SOLD!”_ The auctioneer shouted through the microphone.

Stiles nodded as he headed back to sit next to Derek.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> About ridding and working with a broken or injure arm both my trainer and have done almost exactly what Stiles did. (Except she broke her arm a little differently)


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Okay it was a pay off, but they were taking it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for it taking so long for an update and for it being so short!  
>  I had some horse issues and some health issues, but both are better!

They ended up getting Tir Na Nog for only five hundred and fifty bucks. After the pedigree fraud was disclosed the auction yard agreed they didn’t want that kind of reputation and that in favor of keeping between themselves, they could drop the price a bit.

Okay it was a pay off, but they were taking it.

The mare was a few hundred pounds under weight and despite everyone sickly hoping the mare had been drugged for the auction, she hadn’t been. Derek had been right, she’d been broken, pure and simple. She hadn’t been trained or worked or ridden, she had been broken.

~

After Boo’s and all of the other auction horses did their 30 days in quarantine. Stiles started working with her. He remembered her from when he was little.

Full of life and a bit wild, curious and playful and willing. This mare, this mare was hollow, a shell, a ghost of her former self. She would do what you wanted her to do and beautifully trained but she had no _spark_.

~

Stiles was riding Boo in the outdoor, trotting her in a figure eight, while Derek rode his mare-Nova-on the rail at an easy canter. The quarantine barn by the outdoor was under construction, a large flood light was set on the step up into the barn.

Stiles turned out of his figure out and started cantering as Derek flowing into a walk. A strong gust of wind kicked across the barn, gathering dust. It was strong enough to make Nova take a step over and have Boo stutter a little in her canter.

The flood light tilted and swayed then slammed into the ground with a BANG!

Nova bolted across the arena and managed a buck before Derek reined her in. However Boo, had slowed her canter and looked, but then kept going. Stiles had had to stop her because he was more jumpy then she was.

“Seriously? I about jumped out of my own skin and all you did was look?” Stiles asked the mare as they walked around the arena.

~

“Have you taken her out?” Lydia asked. They stood in the crossties Stiles with Boo and Lydia with her pony. They waved to Danny as he walked by with a pair of horses.

“No, why what were you thinking?” Stiles asked. He adjusted the saddle on Boo’s back. Allison was across from them in her stall getting her gelding ready.

“We could go up to back part of the property then do bit of the cross-country schooling. If you have a vest” Allison offered. Lydia nodded and smiled.

“Yeah, maybe she’ll perk up getting to jump outside the arena. I’ll let Talia know where we’re going” Stiles mumbled. He tightened Boo’s girth.

~

“That’s a hill” Stiles pointed out. The hill wasn’t really _that_ steep. Lydia, Allison and Stiles eyed the thing, they were nice and warmed up. Stiles glanced over at the two girls, he gathered his reins and squeezed Boo a little, the mare took a step forward, Allison and Lydia caught on quicker to what he was doing then Boo and they shot off.

Boo whined, actually whined, not one of her halfhearted shrieking sighs. She then leaned back on her haunches and rocketed off. Stiles stood up and grabbed mane.

“Holy shit!” he shouted. The mare was bounding up the hill after the pony and the gelding with easy and she still cantering, it was a lengthened canter, but still cantering. Stiles wanted to go more, faster, wanted to see more of her spark.

He leaned forward and worked with her canter then he squeezed with his calf and kissed. Boo went even faster.

Without realizing it, Stiles had passed Lydia and Allison and they had reached the top of the hill, but Stiles didn’t want to stop. So they kept going. They ran out of the clutter of trees into the cross country field. Stiles swiveled his head till he spotted one particular fence.

The Normandy bank.

He didn’t even think, He manage to adjust Boo and get her back before they actually headed to the fence, but no actual thought went into it.

Boo flew over the ditch like it was nothing then arched over the next fence like it was nothing. Stiles had forgotten that after fence there wasn’t a lolling little hill that allowed you to canter away, there was nothing, it was a complete drop off. And Stiles had not jumped cross country in a while.

Boo tapped down and Stiles tumbled off her shoulder. He rolled and looked at the sky. He started to laugh and looked over at Boo who was ripping up grass without a care in the world.

“So outside then, good to know” Stiles slowly got up and made his way over to Boo. She was her normal placid self, but at least he had seen _something_. It meant he had to fall everything time to bring it out in her, he would.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if you ever want to come bug me, the tumblr~  
> http://booked-equestrian.tumblr.com/

Stiles tried everything to get Boo to perk up. He tried everything from different feeds to where he rode and even how he rode and what tack he rode in and who he rode with. Nothing seemed too work.

Boo was well trained and at an excellent age. She wasn’t spooky and she besides lacking a generalized _spark_ she did seem to tune herself to her rider. Stiles was not regretting telling Talia to buy his mother’s mare. It was not a bad decision. She was a good horse, enough horse to get up and go, to power over a four foot fence with ease and grace, but when you looked at her and watched her. It didn’t seem like _she_ enjoyed it.

Stiles was if anything a catch rider or exercise rider. He rarely showed and if he did it was because someone had already paid for the entries but had to scratch last second.

Stiles could ride first level dressage, had jumped over five feet, occasionally schooled cross country and had even ridden in a few 3-day events. Stiles for most of his ridding career had been an equation/hunter rider with the here or there jumper round thrown in for fun.

Stiles like galloping on the long stretches of the cross country and soaring over jumps nearly his height, but the jumpers had never applied to him. Speed plus huge fences and thousand pound animals trying to pivot around corners and fighting the whole time, didn’t seem fun. Still when the FEI World Cup Show Jumping Final was set to air in April-as usual-the barn gathered around the projection screen in lounge.

Danny had gotten the laptop all hooked up and ready to go. Everyone gathered around to watch. This year, Jonathan McBride, was not only riding [Landolure](http://rainbowequus.com/our-stallions/landkonig-offspring/landolure/) but also Conquistador, a palomino warmblood that struck out at camera flashes and jumped like a bunny.

~oOo~

“I swear to god that horse has a friggin’ spring!” Eica shouted at the projection screen. The solid white mare seemed to spring over the fences like she’s been shocked, but she’s already let one back leg drift down and knocked a rail.

Erica was nestled against Boyd on the couch as they hoarded a bowl of popcorn and watched the stream. Cora sat on the opposite end of the couch nibbling at gummy bears. With Allison and Scott in front of the couch torn between watching the stream and whispering quietly to each other. Talia and Marcus took up the picnic table and managing to do some work. Isaac and Lydia had taken up the other couch, Lydia and a very elegantly relaxed position with her feet in Isaac’s lap and Isaac with his feet on the coffee table. Danny actually on the table in a bean bag chair in case things needed to be tampered with. Which left the love seat for Derek and Stiles.

~

“Dude, share the popcorn, sharing is caring-oh geeze” Stiles sighed as another horse chipped and knocked the top rail on a particularly difficult diagonal line. Derek set the popcorn bowl in his lap as Jonathan McBride and Landolure entered the ring.

The room and ring grew quiet. At the moment they only had seven for the jump off. Stiles knew Jonathan could run the round clear, but he also knew that watching it would be spectacular. Landolure was an extremely dark bay, nearly black, with a snip on his nose and a right front sock.

The buzzer sounded. They pair didn’t rocket out off, instead McBride brought Landolure to a halt for a total of two seconds, before the stallion picked up into a canter. They came around the corner to the first jump and the audiences’ tension was palpable.

Small little gasps and murmurs as McBride and Landolure rode around the course.

The lounge was utterly silent and completely still. Stiles tensed as they approached the diagonal line, technically it was just an option to take the fence on a diagonal, but with the tight turn and where the fence was set most of the riders had either taken it on the diagonal. McBride came out of the oxer and they went to turn and Landolure shook his head before the two finally started to turn toward the fence. It was going to be tight, really tight, like it would perfectly acceptable for the horse to biff it or completely refuse at this point.

But the stallion didn’t, he sprung up like a bunny, legs tucked up tight to his chest. McBride fought for the jump and stay off the horses back and out of his horse’s way. Landolure’s feet brushed the red flag atop the standard and it drifted down, as Landolure landed on the other side of the otherwise unscathed fence.

They took the next fence in the stunned silence…of the arena.

“Holy shit, did you see that? He jumped the standard, the standard!” Stiles said flailing at the screen. Everyone in the room nodded eyes in intent on Landolure and Jonathan McBride. As the pair came around the last turn on the course toward the last line. The noise of the audience at the event started to rise.

Everyone was screaming, yelling, roaring. The sound was deafening.

They were clear.

 _“With that we know have eight in the jump off. What a beautiful round by Jonathan McBride on Landolure_.” The announcer said.

“More like amazing” Derek muttered. Stiles grinned and nodded.

~

They watched five more rounds all of them knocking at least one rail before Jonathan McBride was up again. Conquistador pranced into the arena, his head high at the sounds and fanfare a photographer took a picture of the stud and he snorted and hopped to the side, but McBride managed to keep him in check as the buzzer sounded.

~

It was over the last oxer in the last line that the horse swam. He would have had a beautiful round otherwise, his back legs dropped and struck out and knocked down the top four poles.

Stiles groaned and smacked Derek’s shoulder.

“He had it, he totally had it! Oh well at least Landolure is clear and Conquistador is still young” Still rambled, his hand sill on Derek’s shoulder. Derek grunted in agreement.

~

Jonathan McBride was the one of two to make it out double clear, but he was just a bit faster on with his time. Stiles hollered and was telling his friends to both suck it and pay up and Talia reminded them that betting was only the racetracks and fools. Still she handed Stiles the twenty she had laid down on Brenton Saunders and Imhotep.

~oOo~

“It was cool really, Landolure was awesome the same with Jonathan McBride. You know it would kind of cool to do it-the world cup that is-maybe even just compete in a qualifier” Stiles told Boo. The others where slowly leaving the barn and Stiles wanted to have a moment alone with _his_ horse before he left.

“You should do it then” Derek said. Stiles jumped and turned to Derek at the stall door. Derek was leaning into the crevice of the open stall door eyes trained on the bay’s legs. Stiles laughed.

“Thanks for the compliment and yeah I’m pretty sure we could both do it-I might die-but Boo she’d clean every fence, I’d just get in her way, you or Cora would have an easier time.” Stiles glanced over at Derek. He sighed and pressed his forehead into Boos’. The mare mimicked his sigh and cocked one hind foot to let it rest.

“Sometimes you are kind of stupid” Derek muttered. Stiles turned his head without breaking contact with Boo and glared at him. Stiles was quiet, waiting for an answer.

“This mare loves you, maybe you can’t see it, but she’s happy when you’re just near here let alone working her. She might not show it right away, but she’s coming back and the first qualifier for the next World Cup is in four or five months” Derek paused. He looked a little shocked, he shook his head and his green eyes now rested firmly on Stiles.

“You can do it Stiles” Derek says resolutely.

“You think she really perks up when I ride her?” Stiles asks. Completely ignoring everything else Derek has said. Derek lets a sort of smile twitch at the edge of his lips.

“Yes”

“Do you really think we could do it? At least compete in the qualifier that is” Stiles clarified. Derek nodded once.

“With a bit of refinement, you ride too much like an equitation rider most times, you really ride for the corners and lines and distances and a nice smooth pace.” Derek tipped his head so it rested against the stall’s frame.

“It’s good you have that in your back pocket, but we’ll work on the speed part” Derek gave Boo a dubious look. Stiles gaped at Derek.

“First of all thank you, I think? Secondly how exactly would _we_ go about this and third my baby can book it. Ask Lydia or Allison this mare totally left them in the friggin’ dust” Stiles said. Derek shrugged.

“Do what you normally do, for now and the day after you get of school. Meet me here at 5 in the morning.” Derek said. He looked over Stiles and Boo before turning and leaving.

~oOo~

It was June third and it was a Saturday and Stiles really wanted to sleep in, but he remembered the sort of promise he had made to Derek a good month earlier. He just hoped Derek would remember it.

Which he had.

Derek stood outside Boos’ stall, the mare already outside in the crossties. Derek didn’t look up as Stiles stepped around the corner into the aisle. Stiles watched Derek for a moment, the man’s shoulder tense as he curried along the mares neck and behind her ears. Her head lifted and she nickered low and sweet as she spotted Stiles.

“Hey girl, are you are looking good today, as usual.” Stiles said and walked up to her. He fished a cookie from his pocket and handed it to her. Even if he was thrown in a tree he’s probably still be pretty happy. Boo had greeted him! Stiles turned to Derek and grinned.

“And you aren’t looked to bad yourself” Derek rolled his eyes and snorted. Derek left Stiles to finish grooming Boo as he went to get the tack.

~

“I just don’t get it is all” Stiles argued back. The where making their way out to their fenceless, outdoor arena. He was fine with switching saddles, even if this one hurt his ass, he was fine with riding outside in the cold-even if it wouldn’t be cold for long-but he just didn’t get switching out Boos’ bit. The mare seemed to do fine in the full cheek, French link, but Derek eyes the bit then glanced at the mare. He run his hand over the bit and then inside the mare’s mouth and with a nod he’d gone and gotten a rubber D ring.

“She likes it” Derek said simply. Stiles couldn’t really argue back. Boo was moving more freely, more forward and she was chewing slightly on the bit with some drool dripping out here or there.

When they made it to the arena there where already three jumps set up, two verticals and an oxer. On the six foot standards.

“She doesn’t have the right shoes” Stiles said weakly. Derek glanced back at him with a smirk, knowing him a liar.

“She got pads two weeks ago” Derek walked over to the first vertical and took it down from when it stood level with his shoulders. “Besides we probably won’t make it over three feet today” Derek said. Stiles nodded as he set to warming up.

~

“She can easily do a fourteen to even sixteen foot stride. I have the lines set each for three fourteen foot strides. I want you to come through nice and easy first” Stiles nodded as he went from standing and listening to Derek to cantering. He went out toward the edge of the trees then came up to the line.

Boo cantered over the two foot jump and fit four strides in between each jump.

Derek sighed.

“Stiles do you know what we’re working on?” He called as stiles kept up the canter and circled back to take the line again.

“Nope, figured we’re just jump!” Stiles called back. Derek waved his hands in a ‘stop’ gesture and if that wasn’t enough, he stepped toward the jump threatening to stand in front of it. Stiles stopped Boo about ten feet front the jump.

“Do you really want to participate in the qualifier?” He asked. Stiles stared at him and nodded. Then feeling he needed to say something said, “Yes I do, I do!”

“I know you think a lot Stiles and I know riding is kind of natural to you, but sometimes you have to focus and use you head when you are in the middle of everything. These jumps might get as tall as me and wide too. Do you think you’ll be able to concentrate with cameras, kids, dogs, fans, music and who else knows what? So that you can keep both yourself and Boo calm whilst bombing around a course?” Derek asked. They glared at each other for a long moment before Stiles tilted his chin up.

“Yes. If you’re ask if I can be a thinking rider while everyone else loses their shit, then yes. And if you’re asking if I am willing to still attempt to do this then yes. One thing Derek, you’ve never taught anyone before so take a fucking second and explain things first next time instead of yelling” Stiles said. “You know like your mom does” He tacked on just to rub it in Derek’s a bit how royal he had screwed up.

They stared at each other for a long moment. Before finally Derek took an unneeded step back, conceded his defeat. Stiles trotted Boo forward and through the line.

He hoped the rest of their training sessions wouldn’t be like this one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had ideas after going to a grand prix the other day.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “What are we talking about?” Erica asked.  
> “First it was Stiles’ ass now it’s Derek’s plan to kill him” Lydia sighed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter is super short, but it's what I had sitting in the folder. I'm try and update this more frequently from now on.

Stiles plopped down on the couch in the lounge with a groan. Sid swaggered up to him and jumped up onto his stomach, Stiles groaned again.

“That bad?” Danny asked from his perch on the picnic table. It had been three weeks since his first lesson with Derek and even though they had found a sort of unspoken rhythm, it was still hard.

Boo was insanely fit, so two hours for a lesson was totally fine for everyone involved, but when Derek insisted Stiles ride his mare Nova and Charlie nearly all hell broke loose. It wasn’t like Stiles didn’t want to ride Charlie or Nova or that either of the two weren’t quality horses, it’s just that his ass was sore and he didn’t feel like getting bitched at, for at least another two hours. But once Stiles had told Derek that, Ramano was added onto the list as well.

“I swear he’s Satan, no Satan would probably be kinder and certainly gentler to my ass. Jesus that saddle is hard as a rock” Stiles whined into Sid’s shoulder. Danny got up from the table and grabbed both of them waters. He picked up Stiles’ feet and sat on the end of the couch.

“It’s a jumping saddle Stiles, not made to have much ass to saddle contact.” Lydia said as she strode into the lounge with Isaac in tow. The tall blonde was like a cross between a lost puppy and a spooked horse, he’d follow you anywhere unless a wayward shadow happened to jump out at him.

“He’s been giving Roma sweet feed too, I believe he’s actually trying to kill you” Isaac said casually. He strolled to the fridge to grab waters for himself and Lydia. Stiles would have jerked up, if it wasn’t for the 90 or so pounds of dog on his stomach and chest.

“That bastard! Do you know he won’t even let me lounge any of them down! I had to fight him to let me at least warm them up in the indoor before going to the field where I made lose my fucking life because he’s giving Roma sweet feed! I think he’s actually trying to kill me, like maim me with hyper-active horses, it would have a sort of sweet irony though wouldn’t it the kid with ADD getting taken out by the horse with ADD” Stiles ranted. Lydia arched one perfectly plucked eyebrow.

“Very poetic, but I doubt he’s trying to kill you. If he was there would be _much_ easier ways then putting you on hot horses that you can obviously handle” Lydia said. She was seated on the couch, adjusting something on her half chaps. Before Stiles could ask what she meant when Erica, Allison and Scott strolled in.

“What are we talking about?” Erica asked. She took a seat next to Isaac on the picnic table, while Allison and Scott sat next to Lydia on the couch.

“First it was Stiles’ ass now it’s Derek’s plan to kill him” Lydia sighed. Scott shifted a little and glanced at his friend, ready to go kick some ass, but Stiles just shook his head and rolled his eyes.

“Sounds interesting hopefully he has plans on where to bury the body?” Erica asked. Stiles managed to haul himself up enough to glare at her.

“He could probably manage it with Boyd’s help, but knowing Boyd he’d probably only help so that he could turn Derek in later” Danny offered.

“I hate all of you, so much. I know I’m going to roast in a fiery pit of hell, but you all are so going to boil in eternal damnation!” Stiles yelled. They ignored him so he talked to the dog instead.

“Hey how about you and me make a run for it? To the border, of Canada that is, we’ll take Boo too and maybe even Roma, because as much I think that horse is trying to murder me, he’s actually fun to ride. What do you say, to Canada?” Stiles asked Sid with the most serious and sincere tone and face manageable when one is talking to a dog. Danny was trying hard not to laugh and when that failed he chugged water to force himself not to. Erica snorted at the performance. Allison chuckled and Scott looked ready to run away to Canada with his friend. While Isaac was torn between being amused and concerned for Stiles and Lydia just had one eyebrow arched elegantly.

Boyd strode in and took in everyone staring at Stiles.

“So it’s stare at Stiles time or?” He trailed off. Erica laughed and patted the open spot by her. He walked over and sat next to her.

“Isn’t it always stare at Stiles time?” Isaac asked teasingly. Stiles stuck his tongue out at him.

“I can see the burdening attraction growing, now back to the subject at hand. Derek wanting to kill you or rather his not wanting to kill you” Lydia said. Stiles turned back to her and Boyd eyed her. They all fell silent waiting for her to explain.

“Stiles did you at any point ask Derek why he is asking-”

“Forcing he is forcing me-” Lydia cut him off with a glare.

“If you really didn’t want to ride four let alone one horse under Derek’s tutelage he would understandingly hand you off to Laura or Talia or even Marcus, but no you continuously come back out day in and day out to ride those horse and do what else he tells you.”

“You want to know why?” It was a rhetorical question, but Stiles couldn’t will himself to shut up.

“Please enlighten me” Stiles said. Stiles literally flinched from the look she gave him.

“Because he expects you to be better, he expects more from you and you like it. Talia and Laura accept it when you screw up, sure they might get angry, but then they let it go. Derek he knows you can and will ride better. Derek is probably reasoning you need to know how to handle a hot horse, a lazy horse and horse that sort of wants to murder you in case there’s a jackpot.” Lydia explained. Stiles felt himself nodding. Lydia pinned him with a stare.

“Plus you get stamina, I’m going to guess that now after finishing with Roma that you no longer feel as exhausted and you feel like you could ride another horse?” She asked. Stiles gawked at her for a moment before nodding.

“Yeah, it’s weird. At first I was exhausted after riding Boo, Charlie and Nova, but then I felt okay and then we added Roma and I was exhausted again. I ride Boo for two hours, Charlie for at least an hour and a half, Nova for another two and the same with Roma sometimes even a little longer depending on how hot he is-which I’m going to have a talk with Derek about. I’m just not all that tired anymore, I mean sometimes I’m a little sore, but on the days I don’t ride I feel like I have to do something or I’ll explode! Oh my god Derek has given me the capacity for even more energy, isn’t that scary” Stiles said.

“Terrifyingly so.” Boyd muttered. Stiles laughed and smiled at him and he smiled back. Scott was shaking his head.

“Dude, four horses, that’s insane!”

“There are some professionals that ride eight in competitions” Allison offered. Scott made an ‘oh’ face. Danny smiled and looked at Stiles as he patted Sid on the butt.

“See Derek is helping you”

“He might want to murder you, but he has yet to give into his impulses” Lydia said. Stiles moaned.

“Well if he ever did murder me I hope I can count on my friends murdering him back” He said.

“We got it” Isaac said. Erica and Boyd nodded. Scott looked a little indignant that he hadn’t been the first to offer to murder someone for Stiles, but still nodded. Allison sort of shrugged then smiled. Lydia lifted an eyebrow as if to say ‘I would get my hands dirty, but okay’. And Danny squeezed his ankle.

“I feel loved!” Stiles announced. Sid turned her head and licked him square on the nose.

**Author's Note:**

> It gets happier I swear!
> 
> P.S. The title will make sense later


End file.
